50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 536 Even bishops have it tough.

Sun Zhiwei drove Tong Jiajia to St. John's Cathedral, parked the car in the designated spot, and the two returned to the main entrance.

From the outside, the entire church is gray, with the first floor reaching a height of ten meters. The walls are decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, displaying a complex yet solemn style and a magnificent and imposing presence.

There are 8 doors on the front. The three pairs of large doors on the left, center and right are usually closed. Tourists and worshippers enter and exit through the two smallest doors.

Sun Zhiwei and Tong Jiajia followed the tourists through the small door, only to find a completely different scene inside. The entire hall was resplendent with gold after the lights were turned on.

Today wasn't the day of the ceremony, so most of the people inside were tourists. Sun Zhiwei saw a pastor on duty on the steps of the hall, so he pulled Tong Jiajia over with him.

He came mainly to inquire about the baptism ceremony, as joining the church requires going through the baptism ceremony.

There are three main types of baptism ceremonies: ① immersion baptism (walking into the pool); ② water pouring baptism (pouring water on the head); ③ sprinkling baptism.

Protestantism is a branch that split from Catholicism. It simplifies many church rituals and has simpler requirements.

For example, Catholicism requires godfathers and godmothers, as well as Christian names, while Protestantism does not.

For example, Protestant conversions often involve water-pouring and sprinkling, while Catholicism considers baptism to be more symbolic.

Regardless of the method of baptism, the baptism process is always accompanied by laughter and joy.

When new believers struggle in the water, their relatives and friends watching the ceremony might not be able to help but laugh out loud, after all, this "swimming in the water" is not something everyone can easily handle.

Indeed, baptism has many inconveniences.

For example, during baptism, believers often choke on water because they cannot swim, and after baptism, some people catch colds or other illnesses.

In the days before antibiotics, a cold was no small matter, and the Protestant simplification and innovation in this regard had historical significance.

Sun Zhiwei led Tong Jiajia to the pastor on duty. After bowing, he began to inquire about the requirements of the adult baptism ceremony.

Generally, only newborn babies participate in baptism; adult baptism is relatively rare and is more often seen when converts from other denominations.

Sun Zhiwei's situation is quite special. His records show that his parents died early, and he himself does not know whether he was baptized when he was a child, nor does he know his parents' religious sect.

For a time, even the duty pastor, Owen McCoy, couldn't make a decision. He could only report it to the senior pastor of the church, who would then decide.

Tong Jiajia is simpler; she wasn't a believer before, but joined as a Protestant.

In addition to baptism, believers are also issued a baptismal certificate by the church to prove their identity as believers.

The certificate of baptism has many uses.

Firstly, it serves as a certificate: it records the name, date, location, and host, just like a graduation certificate.

Secondly, it can be used as a ticket: it can be used as a ticket to attend weddings, communions, or to take office; in times of difficulty, it can be used to get a free meal.

Thirdly, it serves as a memorial: it is often used as a family memento, so that even when the baby grows up, they can still know about the past.

However, there are some requirements before the baptism ceremony. Adults need to attend catechism courses and pass a faith test; for infants, the parents or guardians need to apply for baptism.

The so-called faith test was very simple, just a few multiple-choice questions. After all, many believers couldn't even read, and having the pastor read the test aloud would have made things too complicated and no one would come. The rapid and widespread spread of Protestantism was undoubtedly related to this simplification.

Regarding the exam, the two former teachers said they felt no pressure at all; as long as they had the textbook and the time, they could get a perfect score.

After writing down Sun Zhiwei's situation, the duty pastor, Owen, had a parishioner deliver it to the back of the government building to consult with the cathedral's senior pastor, Bishop Wilson.

Pastor Owen then continued his inquiry, asking Sun Zhiwei and the other man about their basic information. He relaxed after discovering that both had a basic understanding of the doctrine.

After all, if Protestants don't understand any doctrines, they have to start learning from scratch, which takes a lot of effort.

For Protestants like Sun Zhiwei who already understand the doctrine, they only need to go through an assessment process before the baptism ceremony can begin.

About half an hour later, the believer who had delivered the message hurriedly returned from the government building and whispered something in Pastor Irwin's ear.

Sun Zhiwei has very sharp ears; he heard it clearly when the other party told Pastor Owen that he was Sun Zhiwei.

It turns out that they had just found out Sun Zhiwei's identity information: a very wealthy man, and it would be a big deal for such an elite person to join the church.

Sun Zhiwei was not surprised that they could find his information.

His address and personal information are registered with the police station and the community. If a district bishop wants to inquire, it's just a matter of making a phone call.

Their welcome to Protestants like Sun Zhiwei was not only due to the desire to expand the church's influence, but also because of his tithe.

Protestantism encourages believers to donate one-tenth of their income to the church to support its operation and development.

Even the senior pastor of St. John's Cathedral, a high-ranking regional bishop, has his difficulties.

This church is so large and famous, but it has been under construction for over a hundred years and is still not finished. The main reason for this is undoubtedly the lack of funds.

As for issues like a shortage of workers for ancient buildings or other external factors, those are actually secondary. With enough money, any building can be constructed quickly.

Normally, there is no information verification process for Protestant induction, as they are a church, not a government agency, and do not verify the identity information of believers.

However, when the senior pastor of the cathedral saw the name James Roberts just now, he vaguely felt that it sounded familiar, so he made a special call to check it out.

Thanks to Forbes magazine, Sun Zhiwei is now a celebrity in New York.

The reason why the cathedral's senior pastor, Bishop Wilson, had heard of him was most likely because of that rich list.

Thus, Sun Zhiwei's identity as a billionaire was exposed, but he didn't care. He hadn't intended to hide his identity anyway.

When Pastor Owen heard the message from the believer, his eyes lit up. This was a big, fat sheep; he couldn't let it go.

Pastor Owen couldn't help himself and stepped forward to grab Sun Zhiwei's hand. Fortunately, he had been a pastor for many years and ultimately did not lose his composure.

"Mr. James, your baptism application has been approved. Do you have any requirements regarding the timing of the baptism?"

(End of this chapter)